EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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WHAT'S IN YOUR WATER?

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

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Credits

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Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

2-Nitropropane is a solvent in ink, paint, adhesives and other materials; intermediate in chemical manufacturing; component of explosives, propellants, and combustible fuels. Potential health impacts associated with 2-Nitropropane include cancer, developmental toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and respiratory toxicity. [read more]

Sources of 2-Nitropropane:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of 2-Nitropropane tests reported by 211 public water suppliers in 3 states shows that between 1998 and 2002, 16 thousand people in 1 communities drank water contaminated with 2-Nitropropane. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.2-Nitropropane remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

16,000 People drinking water contaminated with 2-Nitropropane 1 Community served water contaminated with 2-Nitropropane

Table. 2-Nitropropane Exposure by State

16 thousand Americans in 1 states were served tap water contaminated with 2-Nitropropane between 1998 and 2002.

State	Water suppliers with 2-Nitropropane contamination
	Systems	Population
Pennsylvania	1	16,000
Total	1	16,000

Table. The most polluted communities

16,000 Americans in 1 communities were served tap water contaminated with 2-Nitropropane between 1998 and 2002

Ranked by highest average 2-Nitropropane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Upper Southampton Mun Authority Southampton, PA	16,000	1 of 3	3.43 ppb (0 to 10.3 ppb)

Testing Summary for 2-Nitropropane

Water suppliers report an average of 0.9 2-Nitropropane tests per year. 39,540 water suppliers failed to report any 2-Nitropropane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for 2-Nitropropane by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for 2-Nitropropane (1998-2002): 211 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2002): 0.9 per year

2-Nitropropane Violations

Because 2-Nitropropane is unregulated in tap water, no violations are recorded in EPA's violations database, the Safe Drinking Water Information System. Under the federal tap water law, water suppliers are not required to routinely test for 2-Nitropropane, and any level is legal in tap water.